New York Green-Lights First Legal Weed Shops, Arizona Cannabis Sales Down & Other Regulatory Updates

New York Cannabis Regulators Award Initial Rec Marijuana Retail Licenses

On Monday, New York regulators greenlighted the first 36 for conditional adult-use retail dispensary licenses. The state accepted applications from 903 businesses, reported Marijuana Moment.

The Cannabis Control Board (CCB) also advanced new regulations for the market.

The list includes 28 dispensaries owned by justice-involved individuals and eight nonprofit organizations and prioritizes people in communities most affected by the war on drugs for opportunities in the legal cannabis industry.

“This is a monumental moment, and it represents the last leg of the cannabis supply chain that requires licensure,” Tremaine Wright, chair of the CCB, said.

Meanwhile, on Friday, New York officials announced they have selected ten teams of companies to build some 150 turnkey facilities for social equity cannabis retailers to operate once the marketplace officially launches.

Arizona Cannabis Sales Continue To Drop

Arizona cannabis sales continued to drop in September following a loss of nearly $7 million in August, reported the Arizona Mirror.

However, dispensary owners say that this trend is expected as the market continues to mature in light of the worldwide recession.

Medical marijuana sales totaled $31 million for the month, representing a 12% month-over-month drop. Recreational marijuana sales dipped by nearly $2 million compared to August sales of $75.3 million.

In September 2021, the Arizona Department of Revenue reported $63.4 million in medical sales, compared to $58.5 million in recreational sales.

Arizona welcomed adult-use cannabis legalization during the 2020 November election.

"Certainly, when you compare (current sales) to last year, you're seeing drops," said Ryan Hermansky, founder of Flagstaff's Noble Herb dispensary, PURE Edibles and president of the Arizona Dispensaries Association. 
"Last year was inflated due to the 'unicorn year': We had a really exciting, skyrocketing year that's coming down to Earth a little bit."

Senator Urges DOT To Provide Report On Marijuana-Impaired Driving Research

With marijuana still classified as a controlled substance on the federal level, researchers still face barriers to examining its effects.

While Joe Biden is intending to sign the bipartisan marijuana research bill that Congress passed on Wednesday, making it the first time ever that a US President will sign a standalone piece of cannabis reform legislation, Senator John Hickenlooper is urging the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide an update on the status of a report identifying the imposed federal barriers to researching the effects of cannabis-impaired driving.

DOT must submit a report to Congress by November 2023 under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed last year.

"The report required by Section 25026 of the IIJA is a critical first step to identify the barriers that prevent the development of an impairment standard for driving after consuming marijuana," wrote Hickenlooper. "As implementation of IIJA continues, I would like to understand the progress made to date to produce the report on marijuana research required by the statute."

Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety stressed the importance of identifying a national standard for marijuana-impaired driving.

"The DOT also must establish safety standards for lifesaving vehicle safety technology, including impaired driving prevention technology and automatic emergency braking (AEB) to reduce the intolerable motor vehicle crash death and injury toll," Chase said.

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